Support rallies to save Macphail trees as board attends meeting

The plan to cut about 60 trees at Macphail to make room for portables brought many parents and students to the school gym Thursday.

The meeting was called by Bluewater District School Board to listen to concerns.

And the board brought a new proposal to the table, which would limit the space needed to the three portables planned for the fall, rather than creating a space for the six that are eventually expected.

The presentation also suggested moving the fence back, likely in 2025, to enclose more trees within the school yard, as well as planting more trees.

The school board shared the stage with a parent, Claudia Lorenz, who presented some history of the tree planting, as well as the mental health and other benefits of natural outdoor space.

The presentation included diagrams of several other alternatives, proposed by parents.

An engaging opening video from the parents showed students making their own pleas – “seriously, you’ve got to save these trees,” said one youngster.

There was lots of time given for parents and guardians to express their views and ask questions.

One of the students who planted trees behind Macphail 30 years ago, Abel Wells, was at the meeting.

“It’s memorable – it’s stuck with me,” he said.

He read out the pledge that the tree-planters made as Grade 6 students, with their hope that the trees would be spared, and was greeted with a round of applause.

Andrew Low and Lauren Penner Lipsett of Bluewater said they had spent hours on trying to figure other options that met board guidelines such as distance to the school, sight lines and considerations such as snow removal.

They explained that there is a lot of time pressure in order to have the portables in place for the fall.

The school population is growing. There will be at least one new kindergarten class at the school in the fall, and right now, the library is split in two, with half used for music. One of the portables is planned to be a dedicated music room.

Near the end of the meeting, one parent suggested only moving in one portable this fall, to allow for more time for discussion.

That was something that might be possible, board officials said.

Usually, portable placement is not a big concern for parents, said Ms Lipsett, explaining in a later interview why the public was not informed of the plan earlier.

“Typically there’s not this level of engagement with portable placement,” she said.

“I think we’re open to taking what we heard here and going back to reflect,” she said.

This year, however, the community around Arran-Tara school is raising similar concerns about trees being cut to make room for parking.

Macphail is in Flesherton, but as the area French immersion school draws from other areas including Dundalk.

M.T. Fernandes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Flesherton Advance